The incident took place in the city of Trier, in south-western Germany, where a Christmas market is believed to have taken place. Local reports claim the car was driven “at speed” from the city’s gate Porta negra towards the crowd. A person has been arrested.
Police confirmed several people had been killed and a number of others more were injured.
They said: “Update: several people dead and injured in the city centre of Trier.
“One driver has been arrested. More info to follow.
“Taking care of the injured takes precedence.”
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The Trierischer Volksfreund local newspaper quoted an eyewitness as saying a dark grey Range Rover was driving at high speed and people had been thrown through the air.
It said the city centre had been cordoned off and helicopters were circling overhead.
The mayor of Trier had rushed to the scene, and there is to be a news conference shortly.
An eyewitness told FOCUS Online: “I saw countless people jumping to the side, over 30 people were lying on the street, some of them motionless.
“It felt like the car was going at 70 to 80 kilometres per hour, he didn’t beep his horn, he just accelerated.
“The city centre was very busy. From the back it looked like an SUV, it could have been a jeep.”
A passerby reported that the car also hit children.
MORE TO FOLLOW.